


A little party (to everybody)

by TheGoldenGirl



Category: Servamp (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Birthday Fluff, Fluff, Gen, One Shot Collection, will update with every character birthday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:14:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22721545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGoldenGirl/pseuds/TheGoldenGirl
Summary: Whether you turn 16 or 1600, every birthday is a special one. And every single one deserves to be celebrated.Tiny, cute birthday oneshots for characters I dearly love! Please tell me which ones you love, too, so they can be honoured on their special day.
Relationships: Arisuin Mikuni & Arisuin Misono, Arisuin Mikuni & Jeje | Doubt Doubt, Arisuin Misono & Snow Lily | All of Love, Hyde | Lawless/Licht Jekylland Todoroki, Jeje | Doubt Doubt & Snow Lily | All of Love, Shirota Mahiru & Watanuki Sakuya, The Mother/Izuna Nobel
Comments: 42
Kudos: 46





	1. Misono

**Author's Note:**

> 02/14 - Arisuin Misono

Misono is turning six today.

Every year in the morning, Mikuni comes to wake him up. It’s a tradition. Misono has been lying awake for what feels like hours now, straining his ears for every little creak the house makes, for every whisper and every rustle. He begs the clock on the wall to move a little faster for him, but he’s not sure whether it obeys, because February mornings are dark and his curtains still drawn and he doesn’t want to risk turning the light on. What if Mikuni sees and thinks he’s awake already and decides to leave?

He turns over. His heart is nervously pounding in his chest. Impatience is making his little form tremble. He loves birthdays, he loves the songs and the cakes and the presents and everyone being so happy and cheerful. There will be a breakfast with mum and dad and Mikuni and Grandpa and All of Love, there’ll be coffee in the afternoon with all the children and the servants. It can’t start soon enough. What’s taking Mikuni so long? It’s almost eight already, that’s eight hours of birthday time wasted!

Just as he contemplates turning over again, there’s a quiet little creak outside the doors that sounds nothing like a subclass playing nearby or a maid hurrying to fulfil some duty. His heart almost leaps out of his mouth. Hastily he grabs his blanket and wraps it all around him, smashes his face into his pillow and squeezes his eyes shut. He’s asleep, he’s asleep, Mikuni can’t notice he’s not…

A second later the door flings open with a crash. The room is flooded by light.

“Rise and shine!” Mikuni yells. “Happy birthday, Misono!”

Misono shoots up like a rocket. Even he can feel the huge grin beaming from his face, matching that of his brother, who looks so happy and excited and like this is the best day ever. Which it totally is! He will make it so!

Mikuni bounds over and Misono readily throws himself into the hug he offers. His brother is very tall, much older than five, even, and he always puts a little extra squeeze in the hugs he offers that his little brother loves him for.

“I’m the first one to congratulate you!” He brags and puffs his chest. Misono giggles. He is every year. There may not be much competition, but he takes pride in it. Now he turns around to the door, triumph in his face.

“Did you hear that? That means I love him most!”

“Of course, Master Mikuni!” A new voice answers, one Misono recognizes immediately and makes his smile even brighter. Seconds later a shock of blond hair peaks through the door, and All of Love joins them. He holds a cake (chocolate with a rainbow frosting, like every year), with five brightly burning candles.

“But there was no need to prove this!”

“Yeah, yeah. Just bring that over here!”

All of Love obeys. Mikuni eagerly (but carefully) snatches the cake from him and holds it out to Misono.

“There you go! Blow out the candles!”

And Misono does. He can never do it in one single blow – his lungs are very small, All of Love comforts him later, but that doesn’t matter at all, the secret wishes don’t care how much it takes him – and when all of them are finally extinguished, he receives a round of proud applause.

“You’re so old now!” All of Love says. “Five years, Misono! That’s quite an age!”

“Yeah, soon you’ll be taller than us!” Mikuni agrees. “And cooler, too! Although you’re probably already cooler than All of Love, at least.”

The vampire just chuckles at the weak attempt of an insult, as though he whole-heartedly agrees.

“Now! Presents!” Mikuni proceeds. “Here, have mine first!”

He pulls a neatly-wrapped package from… somewhere, and hands it over.

Misono can immediately tell it’s a book. It’s heavy and wrapped in the purple wrapping paper he always sees behind the counter of his favourite bookstore. It has just the right size, too. That being said, he’s all the more excited, and tears it open with all the viciousness a tiny five-year-old possesses. Which is a lot.

Inside he finds a book – and he mentally congratulates himself for knowing – with a beautiful castle on the cover, with glowing windows in a dark night. He turns it over to read the text on the back. He’s a good reader, All of Love says, much better than other kids his age. Misono wouldn’t know, but he trusts him.

“It’s wonderful!” He says. Mikuni is bouncing on his bed, rocking Misono with every bounce and making All of Love’s hair swish back and forth.

“It’s about a magic school! Which is much cooler than real school!” He explains, and once again Misono must trust him, because he can’t really go to school and see for himself. “You’ll love it!”

A look on the wall clock has him jumping to his feet.

“There’s more presents downstairs!” He promises. “And more cake, and a surprise! Hurry up and you can have it!”

He lets out a manic cackle and is out the door in seconds.

All of Love hums in amusement. Before Mikuni’s steps have even fully faded, he has picked Misono up to wrap him in a hug of his own.

“Happy Birthday,” He murmurs and places a gentle kiss on Misono’s hair. “I am truly proud of you.”

Misono snuggles into his shirt. He’s anxious to go downstairs, but this is also so very nice. As All of Love loosens his hold, he shows him his new book.

“Will you read this to me tonight?” He requests.

“Why, of course! Anything for the birthday boy,” All of Love promises. “But let me carry you downstairs first, yes? My trusty informants tell me Mikuni’s surprise may or may not include a little choir for you.”

~

Misono is turning sixteen today.

Every year in the evening, Lily reads him a story. It doesn’t matter he’s old enough to read on his own now, or that it would be much more efficient to do so. It’s a tradition.

It’s the only tradition that endured the years that turned him from child to… not really an adult, but getting there. There was no family left to welcome him for birthday breakfasts. Opening gifts lacked its appeal when the one who sent most of them wasn't even around to see his reaction. Coffee in the afternoon he himself abandoned, and though at the time he claimed he just wanted peace and quiet he now realized he’d been jealous of people who didn’t depend on people bound to their bloodline to fill their birthday party.

Missing out on Mikuni's wake-up calls was the worst though. He never allowed himself to admit it, but starting the day knowing he could wish and hope and strain his ears against the silence all he wanted and it still wouldn't bring him back his brother just made the day a little bleak. 

But the bedtime stories remained, and Lily put all the more love in them as Misono’s birthday became little more than a reason for the staff to be extra polite. Even as his extra purple wrapping paper and choir of tiny vampire children went ignored, the bedtime story would never be. 

This year is different in many ways. There is a surprise party in the garden instead of the long-abandoned afternoon cofe hour. All the people he learned to call friends have come, and they brought the most stupid, wonderful gifts and heart-shaped chocolate and explained what Valentine's Day is. Mikuni has been over, and they met down by the mansion gates and had their first civil talk in ages, and it wasn't a celebratory wake-up call but perfect as it included the warm hug Misono's missed for years as well as the final volume of the book he gave him a decade ago and that Misono never dared to finish. 

It has easily been one of the better days of his life and he hopes all these new traditions will stay. Still, as evening approaches too quickly, he comes up to Lily, the book Mikuni brought him in his hands. 

“Will you read this to me tonight?” He asks.

Lily’s eyes grow soft and shiny with happiness.

“But of course,” He says. “Anything for the birthday boy.”

Misono actually chuckles at this. He's in such a good mood, and grabs his vampire’s hand so they can make their way upstairs together and in comfortable, exhausted silence. Lily settles against the headboard as Misono slips into his pyjamas, and soon they’re all snuggled up and comfortable.

“It was a good day,” He concludes as they’re ready to start the story. “I think I last enjoyed my birthday as much when I was six.”

He can feel Lily’s smile as though it’s sunshine on his skin.

“Happy Birthday,” He says. “I am truly proud of you.”

“Will it be as good next year?”

“It will,” Lily promises. “Your friends will come. There’ll be songs and cakes and presents. Everyone will be so happy and cheerful for you.”

His fingers rustle against the pages as he prepares to read.

“Who knows? Maybe by then Mikuni will come to wake you up again.”


	2. Snow Lily

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 03/14 - Snow Lily/All of Love

If Lily were a better person, all he’d do for his birthday is grieve.

His existence is not something to celebrate, after all; and the day he was brought into this world should never be considered a happy one. His birth has caused so much pain and loss and tragedy that there are times he feels he’d rather not have been born at all.

But then he watches Misono hurry down the halls, unsuccessfully trying to hide the birthday banners he’s carrying, and he looks so happy that Lily can’t help but feel warm and fuzzy and glad to be alive.

~

The night before March 14th is loaded with anticipation. Of course Lily knows he’s getting a party, but it’s a yearly game he’d hate to miss out on. His friends, his family try to keep it a secret, and he’ll act all surprised because a part of him really, genuinely is. He goes to bed to the sounds of hushed whispers and tiny feet running around, and smiles as sleep takes him.

He wakes up to a cacophony of dozens of children singing (yelling, really) their little hearts out in the most beautiful version of “Happy Birthday” he has heard to this day. He shoots up, his sudden awakening fake but his surprise real, and cheers and claps as they’re done. It’s early, still dark outside, but he’s not sleepy at all, just happy.

“Oh, you remembered!” He cheers as one of his kids foists a paper crown on him, complete with precious gold foil and real plastic diamonds, “Thank you so much! This is beautiful! Come here!”

He seizes his third armful of children to be hugged and cuddled when Misono stumbles in. It’s much too early for him, and his voice is raspy with sleep as he calls out to Lily.

“Happy Birthday,” He mumbles, shoving a clumsily wrapped gift into his hands. “One day I’ll be the first to congratulate.”

Lily laughs and hugs him and of course Misono falls back asleep right then and there.

~

By the time breakfast rolls around and Lily has put his children to bed with promises of cake in the afternoon and reassurances that he’ll of course wear his birthday crown all day, Misono is up and awake again and makes his vampire open the gift he brought over a delicious pancake-and-coffee-breakfast.

“I know it’s small,” He says, “But you know what they say, the best things always come in small packages.”

“That explains your height,” Lily replies and is quick to peel back the packaging before Misono takes his present away for being rude.

It’s a DVD. The cover full of radiant smiles and hearts and cherry blossoms.

“That looks wonderful,” He says, amazed that Misono still manages to find cheesy romantic movies he has not seen yet. Misono looks very proud.

“It comes with a new TV for your room,” He informs his vampire, who can barely hold back an excited squeal.

“And guess who has the misfortune to get it up there later,” a third voice joins them. Moments later Dodo plops down on the free chair across the two of them, and though he tries hard to sound annoyed as usual, he’s smiling as he shoves two small gift bags over to Lily (and discreetly helps himself to a pancake).

“Happy birthday, Lily. One’s from Mitsuki and the other’s mine, but I can’t remember which is which.”

“Thank you so much!”

Lily beams at him over the snappy remark Misono can’t help but make and that Dodo is very happy to return. As the two of them indulge in their usual games of playful bickering, he unwraps a fancy high-end coffee bean selection (definitely Mitsuki’s), and the “Fast & Furious” DVD box set (definitely Dodo’s), and then has as many pancakes as he wants before the other two even notice.

~

The next few hours are spent getting Lily’s new TV set up – as it turns out, hoisting it into the room is the easy part – and once they’re done there’s less than 30 minutes to get ready for coffee time guests and Lily almost panics until Misono slaps the paper crown on his head and tells him that’s all the preparation needed.

They go downstairs, help set up, and the first guests start to arrive. Lily didn’t handle the invitations, but Misono has made an alphabetized list of all their friends (which Lily knows because his Eve accidentally left it out on his desk one day) and made sure they would all be present, like they had been for his own birthday a month earlier. With every arrival the house becomes fuller and louder and more alive. It’s wonderful.

Misono also made sure there would be heaps of food and piles of macarons, and as coffee times begins after birthday wishes and hugs have been exchanged, things quieten down for a few minutes as everyone is busy eating. Since he was forced to take the place at the head of the table, Lily has a prime view of everyone’s happy faces as they merrily munch away, and he can’t help but chuckle into his coffee cup at the sight.

After coffee there are presents, and soon there’s a small pile in front of Lily, including coffee date gift cards, several potted plants, a very pink Kuro-approved pillow that is apparently the result of months of testing (“What a fine excuse for five naps a day!” Mahiru snorts, but he’s mostly ignored over Lily’s happy bubbling), and a bag full of every single butterfly-related accessory an afternoon of Mikuni’s time could buy. The children proudly present him with a stack of papers, every single one of them a portrait of Misono, which Lily asked for and Misono acknowledges with a scoff and a blush.

Lily very delicately stacks it all on a coffee table, careful to have every single present in sight and prominently displayed. With all the cake gone, the company erupts in chats and little bouts of laughter. Eventually Misono gets dragged off to join a card game; the children have clipped all of Mikuni’s butterfly hairclips into the strands of Lily’s hair that aren’t held by their crown, and now they’re off to play so he’s able to sit back on a couch and just take in all the happiness around.

“Nice look,” someone mumbles, and Jeje sits down next to him. Lily beams up at his brother, tucking a strand of butterfly-clip laden hair behind his ear.

“Why, thank you! Dear Mikuni has such great taste, don’t you think?”

Jeje scoffs quietly.

“He got the idea from me,” He mutters, “Here…”

He hands over a little black box that Lily is eager to open. Inside there are earrings. Delicate silk earrings in black and pink, perfectly mimicking a butterfly’s wings.

“Figured you’d like them,” Jeje mumbles. Lily leans into him, and though he knows that he specifically has far more Jeje-touching privileges than anyone else it’s still a welcome surprise to feel the gesture returned.

“I love them,” He says, and it’s true, he loves these earrings dearly, but even more so he loves the knowledge there’s a smile beneath Jeje’s paper bags to go along with all the happiness in the room.

~

“Did you have a good time?” Lily asks Misono as the day comes to an end. Their guests have gone home with bags full of leftover cake; the children will eliminate whatever sweets are left before the morning dawns.

Misono, currently struggling with his pyjama top, rolls his eyes.

“It’s not _my_ day, you idiot. I want to know whether _you_ had a good time.”

“I had a good time if you did!”

Misono groans, Lily laughs, and their discussion ends before having any chance to get serious. Instead Lily holds up his brand new super sappy romance movie.

“Absolutely not.”

“What? Come on!” Lily whines. “We have to have a movie night! It’s tradition!”

“We can have it with anything but that cliché collection that dares call itself movie!”

“But it’s your precious gift to me! Would you give me anything of bad quality? Do you think this little of me?”

He has to dodge his Kuro-approved pink pillow, as it’s the only thing Misono had in arm’s reach while climbing into his Servamp’s bed, but Lily just laughs because he’s well aware his Eve doesn’t mean it. Misono doesn’t care about the movie; he just wants Lily to enjoy the last few hours of his birthday with his new TV screen. The choice of movie is the one thing he can allow himself to be selfish about.

“You’ll just cry your eyes out again and get my pyjamas wet.”

“Don’t worry; you’ll be long asleep by then.”

Lily kills the lights, inserts the disc and slips under his blankets and close to Misono as his new TV comes to life. He watches his Eve’s features soften in the milky glow of the title card flashing across the screen, and as he scoots a little closer Misono allows his head to fall against the other’s shoulder.

In the end he does not even make it halfway through the first act before his eyes blink shut, his body goes slack and he is pulled into Lily’s lap, already strategically positioned. He seems very happy and comfortable as he nuzzles into his vampire’s pink shirt, and Lily slowly loses himself in the warmth against his body, and the nonsense going on in his movie, and his own thoughts.

~

If Lily were a better person, none of this would have happened today.

His children wouldn’t have sung for him. Dodo wouldn’t have had breakfast with them. There would have been no party, no delicious cake to be shared, no games for his friends to play and no earrings for Jeje to be proud of. Misono wouldn’t be asleep against him right now, tired but happy after a day spent laughing and enjoying himself.

Thinking of all the happiness his birthday party has caused eases Lily’s guilt a little.

To him, March 14th will never be about celebrating his birth, his existence. It’s about celebrating the ones who make his existence bearable, his children, his friends and siblings, his Misono. This day is and has always been about them, the ones that being born was worth for.

That’s a good excuse for gifts and macarons, he decides as the last of the end credits flicker across the screen in milky white wisps. His cheeks are wet as the screen goes black.

The room is silent except for the laughter of his subclass as they play outside in the garden. Misono shifts and mumbles in his sleep, cuddling deeper into Lily’s embrace.

He feels so warm and fuzzy and glad to be alive. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have no idea which publication date will be displayed now, maybe March 13th? But it's officially seven minutes into March 14th here in Germany so there I go. This has been sitting around forever and I want to post it.  
> Happy Birthday to Snow Lily, the very best of the Servamp cast! May he receive all the love he deserves for being such an awesome, sweet, generally perfect character. And happy White Day to anyone out there who celebrates!  
> As always, thank you for reading! If you want to comment, you'd make me extremely happy. Also, hi Ben!!


	3. Sakuya

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 02/04 - Watanuki Sakuya

Sakuya used to be convinced that the only truth he had ever told anyone in this entire school about himself was his name. Everything else was nothing but a lie.

Therefore it takes him a few seconds to respond when Koyuki comes up to him one day in late March and asks him what he would like for his birthday.

“What do you mean?” He wants to know, his quick tongue unbearably slow and stupid for once. Koyuki tilts his head in confusion.

“Your birthday is coming up, isn’t it? I just wanted to know whether there’s something you’d really like so I could get it for you!”

“Nah, you shouldn’t.”

Everything about this situation makes him uncomfortable, makes his throat feel weird. He can’t say this, can’t let his easy grin slip, though, so he goes for another option.

“You see, there’s… a family curse. That’s right, I am cursed. If I get too many birthday gifts I’ll die a horrible, painful death for being so sinfully greedy!”

Koyuki, despite being Koyuki, looks unconvinced. Sakuya can’t blame him. It’s not his best story, but to be fair, he was caught off-guard.

“It’s okay!” Koyuki says before Sakuya can ask him how much of what he just said was a lie. “I’ll just go ask Mahiru.”

And he bustles off to where said Mahiru sits with Ryuusei, apparently plotting… something.

Sakuya leans back in his chair. He’s supposed to work, but it’s not like his grades matter at all. Instead he shoves his headphones back over his ears and, tired of looking at his textbook, opts for the sight of the window instead. A certain group of people tells him he does that a lot, staring out of windows (“sulking”, apparently), but it just helps him think, a nice backdrop to his thoughts.

He can’t remember telling his friends about his birthday. How did they get the idea? This is bad, really bad, actually. He is too quick to let his walls down around them, he is aware of that (but cannot help it with their smiles so easy and their expressions so unguarded). What other information could have filtered through while he was being so careless? And why, out of all things, his birthday?

The thing is, he has almost forgotten himself. The flow of time is weirdly different if one is basically immortal. Like if he was on a permanent summer holiday. Days blend into one another in the blink of an eye. He relies on his friends and his timetable to remind him what day of the week it is, but months and dates are something else entirely. April 2nd probably would have come and gone like any other day (until he would have been assaulted with the inevitable surprise party when coming home in the evening because any excuse to party is a good one to them).

Maybe it is because he grew up without ever celebrating. For a long time, there was no one really that happy about him being there. Maybe, a long time ago, _she_ celebrated with him…? He does not remember, because he also does not really want to remember. He shakes his head to dispel the thought, but it lingers like a bitter taste on his tongue.

His own mind can’t be manipulated, but it would be easy to do it with his friends’. He could just rob them of the date they plan for, make them believe they already had a celebration, or maybe that he is part of some kind of cult that does not believe in birthdays.

Mahiru looks up, catches him watching their little discussion, and grins. Sakuya pulls his lips back in a smile of his own before he can help it. Planning a birthday seems to put his friend in a good mood. That’s just how he is, Sakuya thinks fondly, planning and obsessing over pointless stuff suits him.

He really does not want to spoil their fun – Mahiru’s fun. And, if he is being entirely honest, he is also kind of curious about what they think up as they stick their heads back together.

He ignores the itching at the back of his throat and tries finishing his work instead.

~

It’s April 2nd and Sakuya has never been this early for school.

He feels giddy – whether that’s good or bad is not decided yet. He hasn’t been what he would consider home at all last night. He doesn’t need sleep, so what’s to stop him from roaming the streets and badgering the night shift workers at the 24 hour store? Resting, any form of being calm, really, had seemed impossible.

It’s a strange feeling, like looking forward to something. Is he looking forward to this? The way he urges the classroom clock to go faster says yes. The minutes he spent standing in front of the school gate trying to decide whether he should call in sick say no. It’s so needlessly complicated – he hates it. He has to be careful or he’ll start sounding like Mahiru.

The classroom door opens. He snaps out of his train of thought as three familiar figures stumble in – his friends have arrived.

They stare at him, shocked.

“What are you doing here?” Ryuusei wants to know.

“I go to school here, remember?”

“You’re never this early!”

There’s panic in their eyes, and Sakuya wants to laugh about how botching a birthday surprise is enough to scare them. It’s endearing.

“I’ve just decided to become a better human in this new year of my life!” He tells them, proudly inflating his chest. They laugh, not believing a word of it, and the tension dissolves into sweet nothingness.

“It’s simpler like this anyways,” Mahiru says, because of course that would be what he’d say. He was probably against making this a surprise altogether. He’s always been a bit of a killjoy, but Sakuya still likes that it turned out how he would have wanted it. 

Their moment is interrupted when Koyuki decides to pull their friend out of his chair and into a hug. Sakuya splutters, startled, fighting against it just long enough to maintain his pride. But as Mahiru (and, very, very hesitantly, Ryuusei) join in, he gives up, surrendering to their warmth.

“We’ll sing you a song, too,” Ryuusei announces, threateningly serious.

“I’ll shove a book down your throat if you try” Sakuya replies.

~

The day has been fun, he can’t deny it.

Oh, who is he kidding – this was the most fun day he ever had! It’s been fantastic! He can’t put in words just how much he enjoyed himself! God – these guys are so stupid and awesome. Just thinking of their cake and their presents and – oh heavens – those wonderful, happy, foolish smiles Sakuya has been earning all day makes him feel like he’s floating. Like there are butterflies in his stomach. He sounds like a lovesick idiot, and he can practically hear the familiar shrill laughter that would shatter his eardrums if certain people ever found out, but right now he doesn’t care at all.

There’s a spring in his step as he walks home. For this night, at least, he doesn’t care about keeping up his walls. He’ll have all the time in the world to fortify them tomorrow, rebuild the lies he’s founded his life on. This feeling right now is true, genuine; he doesn’t want it tainted with dishonesty.

And when he does tweak their minds a little bit again, he decides – he’ll leave a little bit of truth, his birthday date. He doesn’t know whether they’ll be able to celebrate it next year, but god, he wants to.

The walk home is over too quickly. He shuffles through the lobby, gets in the elevator, savours the last bit of the day by pulling out his phone and texting Mahiru he arrived home safely.

He’s so caught up he has completely forgotten he is being expected. As the door slides open, there’s a sudden and ear-drum-shattering screech of “SURPRISE!”, and as two bags of confetti are emptied over his head he realizes – with emotions he can’t quite decipher just yet – that the day isn’t quite over yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was written a year ago, and I like it surprisingly much considering that but there still was a lot of revising to be done. I don't know how to handle these characters at all and I don't know whether I've done a good job keeping everyone in character, but the point of this thing is to try and write characters I usually don't connect with very well! Still, if you have ideas on how to do them better, don't hesitate to tell me!!   
> All that aside, I still like Sakuya a lot, and I hope this chapter is enjoyable. Leave a comment, it'll make my day!   
> Next up, something I can cram the Lust duo into again.


	4. Hyde

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 06/24 - Hyde/Lawless

Lawless – or Hyde, now, he still has to get used to it – has a secret.

He doesn’t quite know why it is a _secret_ , necessarily, rather than a habit he just doesn’t have reason to talk about. But the more he thinks about it, the more certain he is; he wouldn’t reveal it even if asked.

Why that is so, he isn’t quite sure about. Someone smarter than him may point out he’s embarrassed about it, afraid of being questioned for all the even greater secrets his answers might reveal, but he’s not ready to admit that to himself just yet. So instead he tells himself he’d get his butt kicked if a certain violent angel were to find out and he (who never avoids a fight) just isn’t in the mood for that.

But sometimes, in the early morning, when everyone but the maids in whatever hotel they’re staying at is still in deep sleep, Licht will get up and find himself a piano and play the most stupid little things. He’ll be too drowsy and tired to do anything fancy and complicated, his eyes will squint against the early morning light and show him nothing but blurred lines on his note sheets, so anyone who might be listening in from the next room, still wrapped in his blankets but wide awake since his Eve first stirred, will be treated to the most random, nonsensical, beautiful little tunes.

Sometimes Hyde will recognize tunes they’ve heard the day before: The little jingle that plays an endless loop in the hotel elevators, the ringtone of the phone that went off in the store they were in, the little bits of tune they caught when a car drove by them with its windows rolled down and radio turned up. Sometimes it will be whatever is in the charts right now and somehow wormed its way into Licht’s head, sometimes theme songs to series he likes to watch. Sometimes he’ll just run his hands up and down the piano keys, choosing which to press down on in patterns that make sense to no one but him.

Whatever meaningless, sleepy lazy tune it is, Licht’s hands will turn it into the most beautiful, exquisite song. Hyde has seen it many times now (or heard, really, he’s always in the next room, trying to be as quiet as possible to not miss a single beat). If he wasn’t so sure Licht is nothing but a human, he’d gladly believe he possessed some kind of magic, one he hasn’t seen before and never will again. All his Eves were like that, in one way or another, but Licht… Licht is something else.

One summer morning they stay at a nice, fancy hotel on a floor so high they’re high above the roofs of the city. The sun rises early, as it tends to do in June, but Hyde was smart enough to close the curtains the night before. He watches them flutter in the soft, cooling gusts of wind that the opened window lets pass, safe and sound in gentle twilight.

In the next room over, someone’s steps can be heard, softened by the Totoro socks they’re probably wearing. That someone sits down, and there’s a second of silence, and then there’s the familiar sound of Licht and his piano.

Hyde leans back and smiles expectantly. He can allow himself to indulge. Guil stayed over with Krantz tonight, he’s all alone in his hotel room and nobody will know.

Licht’s fingers drift along the keys, aimless at first, before they find purpose, a rhythm, a tune, becoming more certain with every single note played. Soon his other hand joins in, and the simple tune becomes harmony, unity, a song. Pure, joyous music. Hyde can see it when he closes his eyes, can see Licht with his sleep-tousled hair, wearing his Bambi pyjamas, eyes still half closed because the morning sun is so bright. He’s nodding along to his own rhythm, Hyde thinks, the pace his long, strong fingers set, and his face is all serious despite being half-asleep.

He tries to follow the tune he plays. It’s a familiar one, and soon he finds himself humming along, ever-so-silent as to not be heard.

_Happy birthday to you_ , he hums, his fingers tapping along on the bed sheets. It’s a peculiar choice, but he isn’t complaining because his little magic music angel makes it sound like the most artful, unique song in the world.

_Happy birthday to you_ , he continues, distantly wondering how Licht’s morning brain settled on this one. Maybe one of the kids’ shows he sometimes watches for the cute baby animals played it the other day.

_Happy birthday, dear…_

His humming song stops as it stumbles over the blank he doesn’t know how to fill. For a second, his brow creases in frustration, trying to come up with a name.

_…Hyde._

And all of a sudden he finds himself scrambling for his phone, all silence be damned. Are they this far along in June? Has summer come upon them already? Vampires are bad at keeping track of dates, they are immortal and time means nothing, but this one he should know…

His searching hands meet a smooth screen, and as it springs to life he sees it. It’s June 24th.

_Happy birthday to you._

His breath stops for a moment, and before he can clear his thoughts he has already jumped out of bed, padding to where Licht is, where he continues to play _Happy birthday_ again and again, a little different and more wonderful each time.

When he enters, Licht’s hands still. Hyde would be sad, except the silence is filled with his voice instead.

“So you _were_ listening in,” Licht says, his accusatory tone nothing but superficial.

And Hyde has so many things to answer with, he wants to say “sorry, Licht-tan” and “how do you expect me to sleep, I’m right next door” and “please don’t kick me”.

“What can I say?” He chooses instead, voice flirty because he can’t hide his overwhelming joy and this is how he disguises it best. “You’re hard to resist, angel.”

Licht scoffs and turns around. He’s wearing his concert jacket, for some reason, but beneath it a cartoon deer beams up from his very favourite pyjama top. His hair is tousled and messy, his cheeks still flushed from the warmth of his bed, yet his eyes are bright and sharp and wide awake.

“You’re lucky I’m in a good mood today,” He growls, “or I’d kick you right out of that window. Come here.”

He shifts to the side, making room on his piano chair.

Hyde doesn’t need to be told twice. The room is shrouded in beams of thick, dusty sunlight, so it’s a tiny hedgehog that ends up filling the empty space next to Licht, but he honestly doesn’t mind. Licht, however, frowns and gets up.

He pulls the curtains shut, drowns them in twilight, and Hyde understands. It’s very crowded on the chair with two people instead of a boy and his hedgehog, and Licht ends up sitting very closed, pressed flush to Hyde’s side.

“You’ll need your hands,” He explains. The red on his cheeks may be from something other than his bed’s long-forgotten warmth now.

“Whatever for, Licht-tan?” Hyde asks, but falls silent as Licht takes his hands into his own, pushing them towards the piano keys, settling each finger with certainty and purpose.

“I’ll teach you how to play,” Licht says, and then he looks Hyde in the eyes, as serious as ever. “It’s the greatest gift I can give, so be grateful.”

And another him, _Lawless_ , maybe, would have laughed at this mere human’s arrogance, but Hyde understands that Licht is more generous than anyone he came across in all the lives he lived, and that his generosity sometimes comes in unexpected ways, and that he speaks nothing but the truth right now.

So he smiles and says he’s honoured, and Licht scoffs again and mumbles something about demons, but then they get to work and Krantz and Guil wake up to a song made for two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was written in like two panic-fuelled hours where I realized I had nothing prepared for the birthday of one idiot I actually love quite a lot, and considering this I actually didn't do such a bad job. If you think of leaving a comment, they honestly make my day and you'll be my hero!


	5. Freya

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 08/01 - The Mother/Freya
> 
> Quick note - this is set in an AU, as will soon become apparent. Also shoutout to Kahori_Katsushika, who gave me culinary student Izuna to play with. She's wonderful and you should check out everything she does.

When Izuna decided on doing a bit of extra credit work for her class she was not aware how much it would change her life. Because honestly, why would it? She’d be tutoring someone. Teach them a bit of cooking. A normal task for a culinary arts student.

She got a time and date to meet the girl she’d be teaching, made sure to prepare everything she could possibly need, and arrived ten minutes early, just in case. The lesson would be taking place in the big kitchen the students were allowed to use, which was no five minutes from the dorms she stayed in at the times, but as she entered – she was already expected.

Her date was… hard to miss.

In hindsight, what Izuna should have noticed first was the way she had made a little island for herself amidst the bustling kitchen full of others carrying pots and pans around and hastening from one stove to the other and attempting to put out the sauce that had inexplicably caught on fire in the last row. People just seemed to flow around her, as if she was a rock amidst a stormy sea, when really she was just a tall woman with a particularly threatening aura. Izuna would learn about said aura later – she herself would never notice it, just like she didn’t notice a lot of things in that one moment.

The only things she saw at the time were long, dark hair that shone purple in the kitchen lights, and how part of it had been twirled into a little bun to keep it from falling in her face. And the way she stood tall and strong yet bounced back and forth as though trying to dispel her boredom. And the serious, smooth expression on her face, which was extra adorable considering she was currently busy arranging the cutlery within her reach into a cute little pattern on the table in front of her.

Truly, she was so entranced it took her a second to notice the cute lady’s table number, and that it was the one she had noted down in her calendar, and at that discovery her heart made a little jump.

She practically skipped over there. Fate smiled upon her today.

“Hey there,” She greeted, voice betraying her mirth. “Are you here to learn cooking? I’ll be your teacher! My name is Izuna!”

The woman looked up from her little cutlery pattern and froze.

It was at this point that Izuna noticed she looked, well… angry. And only because as her eyes fell on her they became even more narrow, and her brows furrowed even further, and her gaze turned sharp and full of fire. For a second she just stared angrily.

Not that this would deter Izuna. She had never shied away from wrath in her life, and she certainly wasn’t going to start now.

“What’s your name?” She asked, not even having to fake sounding bubbly and bright.

The woman’s face softened, if only the slightest bit.

“Freya,” She answered, and her voice was quiet yet firm, cool yet strong, like that of someone who did not need to shout to be heard. And oh her name was beautiful. So truly befitting of a woman like her.

“Freya,” Izuna repeated, rolling the name on her tongue, enjoying its sound. “What did you want to learn to cook today?”

Freya turned around fully, and the single, quick movement betrayed power and strength beyond that of any girl Izuna knew. She wore a black dress that day, and with how it swished around her when she moved Izuna could how strong her arms were and that she would like to be tucked in them.

“What’s your favourite?” Freya demanded to know.

“Oh, I love apple pie!” Izuna replied, and it was a good thing that she knew the answer so well or she might have gotten lost in all those sudden, unbidden thoughts.

“Apple pie, then.”

Izuna paused for just a second, puzzled, but she was quite certain she’d do anything for Freya at this point, so she just said “okay” and picked out what they would need.

Freya turned out to be an attentive student. She listened closely to any single word Izuna spoke, tried hard when told to do something on her own, and when the time came to roll out the crust she was so enthusiastic she broke the first rolling pin they used.

Finally their pie was in the oven, and as it baked, they talked. Izuna told her about her work and her crazy colleagues. Freya told stories of her brothers – six of them, apparently – and they agreed that men were weird sometimes. And when Izuna laughed, Freya’s lips split into a smile, wide and warm and absolutely the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

And as they parted ways, having split the pie equally among them, they had a real date set up.

That was five years ago, now.

Izuna remembers their first apple pie fondly as she pulls another from the oven. She never kept count, but by now they’ve certainly shared several dozen. Maybe a hundred? Maybe more?

She sets it down to cool, and as she does so, two arms snake around her waist, pulling her to a warm, soft body. They have lost none of their strength. Izuna is well aware they could just pick her up and carry her around, they’ve tried it before and didn’t even break anything.

“Apple pie,” Freya happily mumbles. Her face rests on Izuna’s shoulder like it belongs there. Her long, purple hair spills down her back and tickles Izuna’s arms.

“As every year for your birthday,” She replies as she leans back to nuzzle into Freya’s cheeks. She smells like the shampoo they share and the perfume she was gifted this morning, neatly wrapped in a tiny package, brought on a tray with strawberry pancakes that they shared in bed.

It’s another hour before their guests will arrive, which is perfect. This is a tradition just for the two of them. Izuna cuts two pieces of pie, puts them on their best plates, and they huddle together on the couch of their little flat to enjoy it, like they did back when Izuna took Freya home for the first time.

“You know,” She says today, and Freya looks up, her mouth full of pie, which is utterly adorable. “I’ve always wondered. Why apple pie?”

Freya contemplates this as she finishes her bite of pie. She takes her time, not wasting even a crumb of it.

“It never occurred to me to have a favourite food before,” She finally says. “And when you mentioned apple pie you looked so happy. I thought maybe it could make me this happy too.”

And then she smiles again, that beautiful warm sunshine smile that warms every fibre of Izuna’s being and makes her wonder how anyone can be scared of such a soft, lovely wonderful woman like Freya.

“And I was right. Now they remind me of you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again this was written in about two hours, so I apologize for any mistakes. Although I love these two quite a lot, it is my first time actually writing them, and I am very insecure about my approach to them. Any feedback is appreciated!! Also any single comment, feedback or not, feeds my soul.


	6. Mikuni

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 10/01 - Arisuin Mikuni

It’s midnight. 

Doubt Doubt -  _ Jeje _ now, he reminds himself - has been counting down the minutes, and yet it takes him a few seconds to find his voice. As he speaks, it sounds raspy and wrong. 

“Mikuni,” He says, and the one word nearly takes all the breath from his lungs. “Happy Birthday.”

For a moment he hears nothing but the shuffle and rustle of stiff blankets shifting around the boy’s body as he turns away from him. 

“Shut up,” Mikuni growls. “Do you never fucking sleep?” 

Jeje doesn’t really know how to respond to that. 

The truth is, he doesn’t really care about Mikuni’s birthday. Birthdays have always seemed pointless to him, especially now that both of them have other problems to worry about - lots of them. He probably wouldn’t even have remembered it. 

But All of Love remembered. Of course he did. 

His younger brother has always been good at finding people, so Jeje wasn’t at all surprised when a little black and pink butterfly fluttered into the palm of his hand the other day. No, his surprise only set in once he had found them both a shadow-shrouded, hidden place, and heard out the other’s request. 

“Please,” He had begged. “It’s Mikuni’s birthday soon. Celebrate it with him. I couldn’t bear to know he goes without.” 

And because it’s downright impossible for Jeje to turn down a request from the one person he actually considers himself close to, he foolishly agreed, and stayed up until midnight, and wished Mikuni a happy birthday only to be shot down like this. 

Not that it is unexpected. He knew something like this would be his answer. But that doesn’t make it any easier to someone who is unspeakably bad at being social. Who, in fact, spent several years holed up in a basement for this exact reason. 

For tonight he can’t do anything, Jeje decides, and instead slinks off into his own bed to stare into the darkness for a bit. He thinks that if he were a bit more honest, if his little brother had looked a bit less desperate and sad, he would have told him that this is a terrible idea. To All of Love, birthdays are important in a way that Jeje will never understand, he loves throwing giant parties, did so for Mikuni every year that he spent in his family’s home, and though Jeje was never present he got to hear all about it when his brother came to visit him with pumpkin soup and freshly baked bread the following day. Those were happy, festive days full of cake and presents and time spent with family. 

“He spent all day playing with little Misono,” All of Love used to tell him, eyes shining with happiness. “They are such a lovely pair of brothers. They make each other happy.”

Of course Mikuni doesn’t want to be reminded of all this. Of course now that all this has been taken away, he won’t think of his birthday as a day to be celebrated any longer. 

It doesn’t matter. Tomorrow, Jeje will try again. 

~

Of course, Mikuni nicks any attempts at birthday related activities in the bud before Jeje even opens his mouth the following day. He’s a smart kid, after all. He probably knew there would be an attempt. He is dressed so quickly Jeje doesn’t even have a chance to get out of the bed, grabs his vampire by the snake tail poking out from underneath his covers and drags him to breakfast before Jeje can so much as hiss at him. 

“Listen,” He growls, quietly because the first C3 employees arriving dutifully early to work start to trickle into the corridors. “If you mention what day it is to  _ anyone _ , anyone at all, I’ll let the others use you for target practice, have I made myself clear?” 

It has not really occurred to Jeje to do so, and if it had he would have very quickly tossed the idea, but he doesn’t really feel like arguing and just mumbles something akin to “sure”. 

Mikuni scarfs down his food before anyone can talk to him, and then he goes looking for something to work on, and soon enough finds himself some menial tasks. When he’s not busying himself with carrying around boxes or going over his coworker’s reports to weed out spelling mistakes, he spends a lot of time dodging said coworkers. Jeje has a sinking feeling that if he weren’t currently wrapped around the other’s neck, he, too, would be dodged. 

He perseveres and tries again at what qualifies as lunch - Mikuni finding himself a desk to sit at and quickly wolf down the sandwiches he had Jeje buy him earlier. 

“Mikuni,” He starts. 

“What is it?” 

Away from the solitude of the night, Mikuni has shifted away from outright showing his blatant distaste in what his Servamp has to say, put on the mask of ‘perpetually carefree and slightly mysterious’ again that he hides so much behind these days. Jeje is not as good at peering through its cracks as he’d like to be. Even when he knows Mikuni’s feelings, it is sometimes frightening to see how good he is at deception. 

“There’s a coffee shop around here,” Jeje mumbles. “They have cake…”

“Cake is for kids, Jeje.” 

He takes a bite of his sandwich, turning his head to read some file he dug up earlier, signalling ‘this conversation is over’ with every fibre of his being. Jeje finds himself almost nervous. He is not made for this, having conversations, trying to convince. 

“Actually,” He mutters, “I’m meeting up there with All of Love later…” 

Mikuni flinches but doesn’t take his eyes off the paper. 

“Good for him,” He says through clenched teeth. 

“You could…”

“Listen, why don’t you go bother Tsurugi for a bit?” Mikuni tells him, and he couldn’t be more clear that this is not a suggestion but an order. “I have a lot of things to do and no time for whatever stunt it is you’re trying to pull.” 

Defeated for now, Jeje gets up from his chair. As he leaves, he digs up a cellphone from the depth of his coat pockets, typing a message he hopes will tilt the odds in his favour. 

~

It is hours later that Jeje emerges from C3’s headquarters and heads out. It is dark already, as it tends to be on October evenings; and rain pours down in heavy sheets, turning streets to small rivers. The yellow light shining from the windows of the coffee shop he walks towards promise shelter and warmth, and yet the one he’s looking for stands outside, clutching an umbrella, arms tightly wrapped around a slender frame. 

“Jeje!” All of Love exclaims upon spotting him. “What are you doing? Why didn’t you bring an umbrella? You’ll catch a cold!” 

The familiar nagging almost brings a smile to Jeje’s lips. But as he slips underneath his younger brother’s umbrella, sees up close just how tired and defeated he looks, it dies quickly. 

“Why aren’t you inside?” He mumbles instead. All of Love casts down his eyes, tears at the seams of his coat. 

“I’m so sorry,” He says. “I can’t stay for long. Misono has been crying all day, and I…”

“Love,” Jeje interrupts him. “It’s okay.” 

All of Love nods but does not seem any less nervous. 

“How is Mikuni doing?” He asks so quietly it’s barely audible over the rain. 

“Doesn’t seem too thrilled about the whole birthday thing,” Jeje mutters. His brother’s face tells him that he, too, expected this, yet is still torn up about it. He’s been chewing his lips so much lately they’re all chapped and dry. 

“I’ve brought what you asked for,” He says, reaches into his coat and pulls out an envelope. It’s one of the fancy, heavy ones, Jeje notices, though All of Love refrained from sticking his little pink butterfly stickers all over. His hands are shaking, but he offers a fond, if weak smile as Jeje takes it from his hands. 

“I’ve taken these from my own collection, so tell him to be careful with them, yes?” He asks, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear with the now freed hand. 

“Ah, but what am I saying, of course he will be…” 

~

It’s almost midnight again. Half an hour to go, maybe, but there is still enough time. 

Mikuni is almost ready for bed. His shirt has already been exchanged for the upper part of his pajamas, and he is just about to pull down his pants when Jeje comes in. 

“Look at what the wind blew in,” Mikuni half-sings, half-mumbles, a mix of his mysterious idiot persona and actual emotion. “What do you want?”

_ I live here _ , Jeje wants to tell him, but instead he comes closer and grips the envelope tight. 

“I brought a present,” He mutters instead and tosses it onto Mikuni’s bed. 

His Eve’s face twists into a scowl. 

“I don’t want a stupid present,” He snarls. 

“Just open it.”

“I’ll tie you up and use you as my belt tomorrow,” Mikuni threatens, but to Jeje’s great surprise he picks up the envelope and tears it open almost thoughtlessly. “Aren’t you supposed to - oh…” 

A flurry of photos falls from the envelope, gently sailing down to rest on the bed sheets. Jeje catches flecks of purple on each of them, and Mikuni must catch them too, because he grabs them, almost greedily, and stares at them as though he can’t believe what he is seeing. 

All of Love was generous when he went through his albums. Little Misono beams up from each of the photos he picked, playing with the children, sitting at the dinner table, picking flowers in the garden, curling up in his big brother’s lap. And Mikuni is speechless, actually speechless, as he gathers them all into a neat little pack he holds close to his chest, as he falls down onto his bed and flips through them, quietly gasping with each new image, each new memory he finds. 

And he’s smiling, in what Jeje thinks is an actually genuine way. It’s tiny, but it’s there. 

There is no thanks - of course there is not. But Jeje doesn’t care. He likes to think he never did, that this was all a big favour he did for All of Love. 

But he cannot deny there is a hint of satisfaction, a tiny stab of happiness, that he managed a birthday surprise after all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's 20 minutes to midnight and I am not happy at all, BUT I am still on time and that is what counts! There's more Lily in this than what one would expect but he's the best and I can't leave him out no matter how hard I try.


	7. Jeje

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 10/02 - Doubt Doubt/Jeje

“It’s midnight,” Misono announces. “Your couch privileges have officially ended, Mikuni.” 

He doesn’t make any move to kick his big brother off the couch they have shared for the past few hours as he maybe would have done a few years ago, but Mikuni still wails as though he’s been shot. 

“You are so cruel to me, Misono! The rejection! The heartache!” 

Misono rolls his eyes and looks like he’s trying very hard to bite back a laugh. 

“Your priorities are all mixed up, Mikuni,” Lily says from his perch to Jeje’s left. They share the second couch in Mikuni’s apartment, right across their respective Eves. “You should all want to sit next to the birthday boy. But that honour is mine and mine alone! You had better be jealous.” 

With that, he loops his arms around his older brother and squeezes him tightly and lovingly.

“Happy Birthday, Jeje! I am so glad we can all be here with you today!” 

Jeje reaches out to hug him back, and Lily gives a little trill of delight. 

“Don’t think you can have Jeje-chan all to yourself!” Mikuni tells him as he jumps up. “I’ll come over! Somewhere I am appreciated!”

“Who says I appreciate you?” Jeje mumbles. Mikuni either doesn’t hear him or chooses to ignore it as he squeezes between the armrest and Jeje’s right side. 

With three people it’s crowded on a couch meant for two, especially as Misono decides he doesn’t feel like sitting alone and demands Lily make room for him, causing him to nestle tighter against Jeje’s side to comply. He’s all squished now, between his Eve and his favourite brother. 

Normally, Jeje isn’t one for hugs, or touching, or even just sitting close over prolonged periods of time. Tonight, he doesn’t find it in himself to not enjoy this. Everything is fuzzy and warm, he can feel the tickle of Lily’s soft hair and Mikuni’s braids in the crook of his neck, there’s an entire day of peace and quiet to look forward to, where they stay inside, watch old movies, play a boardgame, enjoy pumpkin soup and freshly baked bread and leftover cake. 

“Who wants pumpkin soup?” Lily asks, right on cue. 

“Now?” Misono asks. “It’s the middle of the night!”

“Don’t you worry, I’ll make more tomorrow. I just feel like we could all use a little pumpkin soup right now.”

“I want it,” Jeje mumbles. 

So they heed his birthday wish, and a few minutes later Lily brings them four bowls of thick, creamy hot soup before he plops back into his place, squishing them all once more; and then they eat while still huddled in the weird pile they made themselves into. It’s as delicious as every year, Jeje thinks. Maybe even more so considering the company he’s in (though he would rather die than admit there is anything enjoyable about Mikuni basically draping himself all over his Servamp). 

Lily takes the empty bowls away, and as he comes back into the living room, he dims the lights so they sit in comfortable twilight. 

“Time to sleep!” He announces as he gathers Misono and Jeje close. Misono is asleep in seconds, and before long, Lily, too, slumps on Jeje’s shoulder, his breathing quiet and soft in a soothing, steady rhythm. 

“Look at them,” Mikuni mumbles and yawns. “Don’t we have the cutest little brothers in the world?” 

Jeje just hums in agreement. His left arm, trapped beneath Lily, is slowly growing numb, but it is late and he is tired and weirdly happy, so he puts his right around Mikuni and pulls him close. For once, he allows himself this. 

“Oh Jeje,” Mikuni purrs. “Are we feeling affectionate tonight?” 

“Shut up or I’ll shoot you tomorrow.” 

Surprisingly enough, Mikuni complies. Maybe he would have had another quip if he hadn’t fallen asleep that moment, but as it is, he just slumps against Jeje’s other side and remains blissfully silent. 

Who would have thought it’d ever be like this again?, Jeje thinks. Who would have thought that after everything that happened they’d ever have such safety and closeness again? 

He wants to stay awake to enjoy this a bit longer, but sleep is slowly tugging his consciousness away, too. For once, he doesn’t have anything to complain about. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was short and pure fluff and I hope nobody expected a serious plot and is disappointed now. After the last one, I honestly just wanted these four happy and alright and at peace with one another, meeting up in Mikuni's apartment to celebrate him and Jeje's birthday. They deserve this.


End file.
